The subject technology relates generally to location-aware and navigational devices. Location-aware smart phones and other devices have been integrated with interactive location services to provide users the ability to view their current locations, and the current locations of their friends. In this manner, a user may view the current location(s) of the user's friends in real time. Location-aware devices may also be integrated with a “check-in” feature that enables a user to select, in real-time, a place of interest near the user's current geographic location to announce to other users (for example, in a social network) where the user is currently located.